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Are Negative Rates a “Calamitous Misadventure"? ECB Economists Say No
Article

Are Negative Rates a “Calamitous Misadventure"? ECB Economists Say No


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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

The European Central Bank, along with the central banks of countries like Switzerland and Japan, is deploying an accommodative monetary policy that has pushed interest rates below zero. In this clearly presented article, David Wessel and Peter Olson of the Brookings Institution argue that negative rates might yield positive benefits, despite criticism that negative rates are policy gone awry. getAbstract recommends Wessel and Olson’s fresh look at this unsettling new practice to policy makers, investors and business executives.

Take-Aways

  • In 2014, the European Central Bank (ECB) introduced negative interest rates; euro-zone banks now pay the ECB to hold their reserves.
  • The ECB’s experience shows that negative rates may bring some benefits, including lower borrowing rates and increased bank lending.
  • Research suggests that negative interest rates have so far not impinged on bank profitability and that lower consumer borrowing costs have offset the loss of interest earnings on savings.

About the Authors

David Wessel is a director at the Brookings Institution, where Peter Olson is a research analyst .